The Grace Message is about No Condemnation!

You have a future. A bright future filled with success and great destiny. Not only does the Bible tell you so, but it's likely you've received numerous prophecies from church members and leaders declaring the great future you have ahead of you and the plans God has for you. But for some reason, you just don't feel like that's you. You don't feel good enough for such a future.

It is so unfortunate that some of the world's most successful people today are unbelievers. There are more Christians than any other faith in the world. Where are they in society's elite? I have no doubt that they should be there. The reason they're not? Shame and guilt. Far too many Christians feel too unworthy to step into their bright destiny and thus end up settling for mediocre lives. Unbelievers on the other hand have dreams in their hearts that they pursue with all their might and aren't ashamed to do so. They don't think twice about being worthy for such success.

Why is that? I believe it has to do with how we view God. Too many Christians intrinsically believe that God is keeping score of their lives and that they constantly fall short. While unbelievers have so distanced themselves from consciously being aware of God that they don't care what He might think, and thus have no hinderance to feeling worthy enough to go after their dreams.

Whose the better person of the two? Neither of the two are better than the other. Both are equally loved by God. The unbelievers are at least accessing some of their Earthly inheritance. While the believer has access to the Life Source of the Universe, Jesus Christ. But what good is having such access if we're not drawing on Him?

God isn't some distant Being waiting to judge us on the “Last Day” and evaluate whether we make it into Heaven or not. He is a Father who wants to see us succeed now. In whatever area it is that we find ourselves. Whether it be in our Grade 11 mid-year exams, our swimming trials on the weekend, or an audition for the lead role in a Hollywood Blockbuster!

Christians are the most powerful beings on the planet when they realise who they are, and what their Father is like. An incorrect view of our Father and ourselves will limit us in our destiny. We are part of a generation of God's children who will supersede the accomplishments of the unbelievers in this world. God is removing the cloaks of shame, and His children are rising up to take their place as those who inherit the Earth! (Check out Romans 4:13 for confirmation of that promise)

My passion is to help Christians throw off the shame of not feeling good enough for God and their bright futures, because I believe when they do, we will see the world changed. So allow me to take you on a journey of seeing how much God values you, and how much He wants you to succeed. Are you ready? Let's go...

First and foremost, if you are a Christian, God is for you. He is not against you. And He is most certainly not holding your sins against you. Check out 2 Corinthians 5:19:

“God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.”

The Scriptures are full of this wonderful Truth that God is not counting our sins against us! Not only does He not hold them against us, He removes them entirely!

David had a revelation of this Glorious Truth in Psalm 103:12:

“As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgression from us.”

How far is the East from the West? It's infinite! My friend, your sins have been infinitely removed! They are gone... FOREVER!

When we Christians get the revelation that God does not hold our sin against us, we will realise that He looks at us with Love and passion. He doesn't see the sin and the failures, because in His mind they have been removed. And if He doesn't see the sin and the failures, why do we focus on them? God wants us to move from a “sin-consciousness” to a “God-consciousness”. For so long, we've focussed on sin. Trying not to do this sin, exposing that sin, etc. But the point was never to focus on sin, the point is to focus on the Lover of our souls who empowers us to change the world!

You see, it's the devil who has conned us into believing that we aren't good enough for God, and therefore certainly not good enough to accomplish anything great and walk into our inheritance. Scripture tell us that he is the one that accuses us when we fail, not God! Revelation 12:10 reveals satan as the “accuser of the brothers”. He is the one accusing us for our failures, not God!

This is why when Jesus finished His Work on the Cross He disarmed the powers of darkness. Colossians 2:11 clearly shows us:

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross!”

The only power the devil has is to accuse us of our sin and failures. And God removed that power by removing our sin and failures! It's because of this Glorious Truth that Paul could declare in Romans 8:1 that “there is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!”

Notice a keyword there? NOW. There is NOW, right now, right this instant, no matter what you just did, NO CONDEMNATION! None whatsoever! None at all! God is not condemning you for anything! God is not pointing out your failures. It's not His nature. It's not His will. His will is to point out your bright future and reveal His Love for you. If you just sinned, He is standing with arms wide open waiting to Love on you and remind you of your worth as His child. When you receive that Love, you'll be empowered to change.

The more you realise how much Daddy Loves you, and how great His plans are for you, the less you will find yourself sinning and instead pursuing the great destiny He has for you.

Like the vision of Joshua in Zechariah 3:4, the time has come for us to allow God to remove from us our garment of shame, and wear the rich garments of royalty. Like the prodigal son in Luke 15:22, we need to realise our Rich Father has clothed us with His Best Robes despite our failings.

We are royalty! We are children of the Most High God! We are princes and princesses of the most powerful Kingdom in the Universe! There is nothing to be ashamed of!

Rise up, take off your shame and never wear it again. Jesus wore it for you, and then He destroyed it entirely by dying on the Cross. He killed your shame! Now take your place as the royal child of God that you are. And get out there and change the world.

How To Grow Your Faith

Romans 10:17
"Consequently, faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."

We have been seeing lately that in order to walk in our inheritance as Christians and enter into everything God has for us, we need to do so by faith.  Without faith, not only is it "impossible to please God", but it is also impossible to step into the inheritance God has for us.

That may sound a bit harsh.  But before dropping your head and feeling like you're not worthy enough (please no!), remember that we have each already been given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).  So it's not like you have no faith!  The point is to grow the portion of faith we have within our hearts.

Before I get into "how to grow your faith", let me answer some of you questioning "why it is impossible to step into our inheritance without faith".  Well, if you don't have some small ounce of belief that what you are about to do might just work, then you will never do it.  Every person who prays for a sick person has at least a tiny ounce of belief that the person might just get healed.  Every person who takes a risk on a business idea they believe God is leading them into does so because they believe, even slightly, that the idea really was from God and it might really just take off.  This is what faith is all about.  Our challenge is often countering unbelief, it is not necessarily that we don't have enough faith, it is that we have too much unbelief counteracting our faith.  But that is another topic.  Hopefully this paragraph has helped some of you shed some light on what faith actually is.

The topic I am addressing here is how to grow your faith.  Well, it is simple:  It is clearly laid out for us in this verse of Romans 10:17.  It comes by hearing the message of Christ.

Firstly, note that the verse says the Word of "Christ", not the "Word of God".  While I agree that the Word of God is our sustenance, I can also tell you many people who think they are preaching the "word of God" are actually preaching a legalistic message of condemnation.  This is where and why I am glad the Scripture differentiates it with the "Word of Christ".  Because the term points toward a hearing a message about our Saviour and what He has done for us.  The Good News.

My friend, if you want faith to go out and pray for the sick, to take business opportunities, to sow financially, etc...  Get your hands on Gospel-based materials!  Read brief encouragements like this, download Mp3 sermons from Gospel-centered churches, read books magnifying the Work of Jesus, read/listen to testimonies of what God has done for other people, watch DVDs or YouTube videos of Gospel-centered sermons and preachers.

Fill your life with the Word of Christ!  For It is our daily bread.  He is our daily bread.  When we consume Him, our faith cannot help but grow.  And when our faith grows, we will truly shine among the nations!

Understanding God's Grace in All Its Truth

Colossians 1:6
All over the world this Gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's Grace in all its truth.

Reading through Colossians after Steve's recent series on the book, this verse jumped out at me.  Two powerful truths are revealed.  Firstly, the Gospel was bearing fruit all over the world and growing.

Think about this...  Before Paul arrived on the scene, Judaism and Greek mythology were probably the two most popular religions.  Within 300 years, Christianity had become the world's most believed upon faith.  How did that happen!?

Romans 1:16 gives us a good answer:  "The Gospel is the Power of God".  The Message of the Gospel is the most powerful message anyone can ever convey.  So powerful that it will spread like a wildfire naturally.  One only has to look at this worldwide "Grace revolution" we are in to see that.  People everywhere are coming into this revelation because the message is the Message of the Gospel!  Just this week I received an email from a lady in Cape Town who had been watching Joseph Prince's teachings on TBN every week and finally the revelation of Grace penetrated her heart and she started Googling "Grace" and came across "Highway to Grace".  She said her life has been completed transformed by this revelation.  Stories like this confirm the power of this Message.

Another side to the Gospel's power to bear fruit is not only in global understanding, but in personal growth.  This message is one that naturally produces faith in God's goodness.  If you find yourself still battling in a certain area, still feel like there are areas you need to adjust etc.  Be patient.  The seed of the Gospel that has penetrated your heart will start to germinate and produce some beautiful fruit!

Paul then goes on to say in the second half of this verse that the Gospel has borne fruit "since the day... you understood God's Grace in all its truth."  Notice that word "all"?  That's intriguing.  Could it be that it is possible to understand God's Grace in fractions of its truth?  Could it be that the more of its truth we grasp the more fruit we will see?

Friends, God's Grace is bigger and wider and more powerful than any of us will ever come to comprehend.  We never stop learning from it, and we never stop loving it.  Continue to soak yourself in New Covenant books and teachings and grow in your understanding of God's Grace.

Maybe like the woman in Cape Town that emailed me, you've heard the message of Grace so often but it hasn't had that much of an impact on you.  Don't stress.  Don't try to believe it.  Keep soaking yourself in it, and eventually this Powerful, World-changing Message will grip you so tightly that you will never be the same.

May you forever stay in the Rays of God's Glorious Grace.  And may you forever grow in your understanding of it!

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Near You

Luke 10:9
Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God is near you.'

This passage of Scripture tells of when Jesus commission His followers to get out into the villages and release the Kingdom of God over them.  And this verse gives us some interesting insight...

What is interesting is that the sick being healed is directly related to the Kingdom of God being near.  This gives us a clear indication that there are two kingdoms at war, and based on what Jesus says, in one of these kingdoms sickness is rife, while the other's aim is to destroy sickness.  The good news is that we have been brought into the latter Kingdom.

Isn't it encouraging to know that the Kingdom of God is a kingdom that aims to overthrow sickness?  It is an encouraging thing to know that God does not send sickness, nor is it in His plans or purposes, because it is diametrically opposed to the Nature of His Kingdom.

Friends, God does not want you to be sick.  He wants you to be healed, well and better more than you do!  Why do you think Jesus sent the disciples to heal all who were sick!?

If you are sick, what you need is to get as close to where the Kingdom of God is in operation as possible. And even better news is that Jesus tells us that it is in us!  (Luke 17:21)  What we need to see more of is the Kingdom of God that is within us being released around us in order to see it overthrow the current kingdoms and governments.

If you are battling with anything that is not of the Kingdom of God; sickness, poverty, unforgiveness, condemnation, addictions, whatever it may be...  declare the Kingdom of God into that situation.  Declare that Jesus is Lord!  He is the King, and you are declaring that situation to come under the rulership of the King of Kings Jesus Christ, and you will see your salvation!  (Romans 10:9)

And if you are not seeing what you believe should be the desired results, don't give up!  Be persistent!  You may feel like you are losing the battle but Jesus has won the war!  Declare all out attack!  Get friends around you, faith-filled believers, go to your leaders, pastors, and keep declaring the Kingdom of God's rulership over that situation, and know that in God's Kingdom, there is healing for every situation.

It is All About God's Love

Romans 8:37 - 39 (The Message)
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

For this week's encouragement I am using the Message translation, as it gives us a fresh perspective on one of the most powerful Truths in the Universe; that God Loves us unconditionally, and nothing is going to get in the way of that Love!

Friends, this is the central Message of Scripture, the pivot around which the entire Gospel hinges!  That God Loves you unconditionally.  Now, you may have heard that on a number of different occasions, and it may not seem personal to you anymore.  This is why Paul prays for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:19 that we might know this Love.  Because like this verse says, nothing will faze us when we live in the revelation that God Loves us.

I once heard a preacher named Jason Westerfield say that him and his wife have raised their son in a way that he would know how much he is loved.  Because of this, he thinks everyone loves him.  And this affects how he lives and deals with people.  And if people don't love him, it doesn't faze him, because everyone else loves him.

This is how we should live, knowing that we are deeply Loved by the Creator of the Universe, and therefore not letting anything affect us!

What is incredible in this passage in Romans is that Paul emphasises that nothing can separate us from God's Love for us.  And do you know what brought about that revelation?  The Cross.  "The way Jesus embraced us" is referring to what Jesus accomplished on the Cross.  2 Corinthians 5:19 says that God was in Christ reconciling the world (that's you!) to Himself!

Friends, Jesus sweated blood in the garden of Gethsemane because of what He was about to face at the Cross.  And He endured it because He saw a glorious day on the other side of it all where you could be one with Him!  That is the depth of His Love for us!

The more revelation we receive of the Cross, the more we will become convinced that nothing can separate us from God's Love for us!  My friend, know this today, that nothing can separate you from God's Love!  Absolutely nothing!  You are deeply and passionately Loved by your Heavenly Father, and He went to the very furthest He possibly could to ensure that nothing can stand between you and His Love!  Receive it today, and know, that no matter what you have done and where you have been, He Loves you with a Love that can barely be conceived by the natural mind.

I pray each and every one of us would receive a fresh and deeper revelation of the Work of the Cross, and God's Unconditional and Unending Love for us personally.

AMEN!

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For some good sermons regarding God's Love, here are two links worth downloading...

Right-click the link and then click "Save Target As" and save it anywhere on your computer:

- God's Love is Above All Things

- The Love Revolution

Romans 10:17

"...faith comes from hearing the Message, and the Message is heard through the Word of Christ."

Now, I have shared from here before, but it is an important follow-on from last week's message out of Romans 12.  As we saw last week, our mind's need to be renewed from the pattern of the way the world thinks to the pattern of the way Christ thinks.  Christ thinks positively.  He always has hope.  He always sees life.  We need to see things from His perspective.

How do we do that when we are faced with negative circumstances and depressing stories on a daily basis?  Well, it is absolutely imperative that we immerse ourselves in the Word of Christ.  Notice that the translation of this verse I have used actually says "the Word of Christ", not the "word of God".  There is a difference.  The Word of Christ reveals the Glorious Nature and Person of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  We need to immerse ourselves in that Word that breathes life into all situations.

When we do so, faith will naturally arise in our hearts.  Just like when the Springboks (not in this case) won the Rugby World Cup it doesn't take much for you to get up off your chair and clap and shout.  Faith isn't something you need to work up.  It is the natural by-product of the hope-giving Message of the Word of Christ.  

THis is why it is imperative we immerse our ears and eyes in Scripture, teachings, preaching, books and sermons that reveal the Good News of Jesus.  When we do so, our minds will be renewed to think about things from Christ's perspective and not the perspective of this world's hopeless pattern.  And when we're thinking that way, the Kingdom will come in so many more ways than we can imagine!

True Transformation Starts In The Mind

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The power of our mind is highly under-estimated, especially among Christians.  When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, I believe something powerful took place.  Mankind moved from living from their spirits, to living from their minds.  Our spirits were meant to dominate the way we live, that is how God designed us.  After all, He said Himself that He is a Spirit (John 4:24) and those who worship Him must do so in spirit.  The interesting thing is that verse 1 of Romans 12 tells us that we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.  It would seem that God wants to surrender the desires of our flesh (our bodies) and live from our spirits.  When we do this, we are living lives of worship.  In other words, we are doing what God wants us to do and what He created us to do.

The key to living this way is that our minds stand in the way.  This verse in Romans 12 clearly tells us that when our minds are renewed, transformation takes place in us.  Nowhere else in the New Testament are we instructed to renew our spirits.  They have been renewed by the New Birthing work of the Holy Spirit.  They are already New, perfect, holy and righteous.  The problem is that our minds need to catch up to this awesome Truth.

So Paul is saying the old ways in which used to think can still hinder our transformation process here on Earth.  Because I don't know about you, what I want is to manifest more of the Likeness of Jesus here on Earth.  And that all starts with renewing our minds.

Now, we can so easily jump to the conclusion that those old ways are "sinful acts" etc.  Now, of course those things aren't helpful if we are to manifest Christ-likeness here on Earth, but there's far more to it.  What really hinders us is the pattern of this world that is programmed in our minds.  That's why Paul encourages us not to conform to that pattern any longer!

Next week I would like to go a little further into what the pattern of the world is, and how we as Children of God can overcome that pattern.  Until then, I want you to remember that you are 100% Perfect in your spirit being.  You are 100% Righteous, like Christ, and have been given everything for life and Godliness!  It is all lying within you!  What needs to happen, is for your mind to be renewed to believe that Truth!

Like I say, next week we'll explore a bit more how we actually renew the mind.  Until then, have a blessed week!

Nothing Separates You From God's Love!!

Do you feel condemned? Maybe you feel like you aren't worthy enough to come to God?

If you are feeling that... then you have been lied to!!!

Check out what the Scripture says:

Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Do you see that? NO CONDEMNATION!! If you have been born again, then you are in Christ Jesus. And if you are in Christ Jesus, then there is NO CONDEMNATION that can come against you! Any condemnation or guilt you feel is from the devil, and it is illegal!

That means that you can come boldly before God your Father, and allow Him to hold you, and love you, and satisfy every deepest desire of your heart. My friend, when you feel His Love wash over you, everything else in life pales into insignificance.

And NOTHING can separate you from God's Love! NOTHING! It is freely available, all you need to do is come as you are.

Look at what the end of this passage says:

Romans 8:38 - 39
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Vs 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What is holding you back? NOTHING! Come boldly today. Sit at His feet and let Him speak words of Life to your spirit. Let that Love set your heart on Fire once again.

I firmly believe that God's Presence is directly related to His Love. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:16 that God IS Love. That means when His Presence washes over you, you will have a supernatural revelation of His overwhelming, undying, unconditional love for you! And that Love will change who you are forever!

It's one thing to KNOW in your mind that God loves you, it's another thing altogether to actually EXPERIENCE that Love. God wants you to EXPERIENCE His Love for you.

If you are longing for more of God's Presence over you, and a deeper revelation of His Love, then why don't you pray this right now, right where you are? Maybe aloud? Maybe in your heart. And then go find a quiet place, and let Him Love you...

Father,

I come to You as I am. You know me inside out. And yet You Love me perfectly.
Reveal to me Your Love for me. I don't just want to know it in my head, I want to FEEL it in my heart. Let me FEEL Your Love. Reveal to me Your Love. The Love that You displayed at the Cross of Jesus. I want to know You deeply, Father. And I ask that you take me deeper and deeper into Your Love. Wash it all over me like a river. Please Father.

Thank You that You have revealed Your Love to us by sacrificing Your very own Son Jesus. Your Love is the Most Amazing Force in the Universe! Reveal it to me Lord!

In the Amazing, Holy Name of Jesus!

Amen!